JACKSON WOMAN 'CLOWNS' FOR KIDS

Favorite: Many children are drawn out by a clown. This allows Savannah to share Christian principles with youngsters. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

The clown in Donna Sternickle came out early. It just wasn't appreciated at first.

"I was always a outspoken, obnoxious, boisterous and extravagant child that would always seem to get into trouble for the little things," Sternickle said. "I always had a fascination for people that could get away with these personality traits -- especially clowns."

The Jackson resident has been able to "get away with" being a boisterous clown for more than 10 years. In fact, she can't seem to get away from the clowning field.

A Sikeston native, Sternickle was hooked on clowning after visiting a Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus and getting to visit with clowns afterward. After marrying and moving to a Savannah, Ga., military base with her husband, Sternickle's clowning career ballooned. The military children gave her plenty of opportunities to hone her craft.

In 1994, two children later, they moved to Bloomington-Normal, Ill., while her husband attended college.

"This is where the business really began with all the Fortune 500 companies in the area," Sternickle said. "It was soon to be a full-time business."

That business seemed to be over after a 1998 divorce. Picking up the pieces, Sternickle opted to return to Southeast Missouri to start over. Clown makeup did not seem to be part of her future.

"My options were Florida, Virginia or Missouri," she said. "The family roots drew me back to Jackson -- especially since it was where a lot of my ancestry heritage was. It was also near my mother in Sikeston, and my father and step-mother in Cape Girardeau."

Clowning would be left behind as an unwelcome reminder of the recent past.

"I had decide that I wasn't going to continue to clown anymore," Sternickle said. "It was just too painful to continue to do it. I gave it to God saying that if it was meant for me to continue in the business he would have to path the way."

Those prayers, however, seemed to lead her in an unexpected direction.

"Soon after moving to the area, someone noticed the advertising from Illinois on my car which I hadn't removed yet," she said. "They were looking for a clown to do a company picnic, soon after one thing led to another. It just shows that when you put it in God's hands he can handle everything."

After two years in Jackson, the smiling red-nosed persona of Savannah the clown is becoming a familiar site. Other than a two-month hiatus following an August knee surgery, Sternickle has been plying her trade at picnics, parties and numerous other events around Cape Girardeau and surrounding counties. She named her business Alotta Fun 4U2 Productions.

One recent one was Balloons Across America Day. On Oct. 4 hundreds of balloon twisters in communities all across the United States and abroad twisted animals and other sculptures for free, donating their twisting time to one of their local non-profit organizations, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers, churches, government offices, or in the streets.

Governors of Nevada, Alaska, Rhode Island, and Indiana proclaimed it Balloons Across America Day. The late Mel Carnahan did the same in Missouri, in one of his last proclamations as governor. Sternickle (aka "Savannah") was one of the handful of clowns mentioned by name in the governor's proclamation.

She was unable to do a twisting session Oct. 4, but took the event to Eagle Ridge Christian Academy in Cape Girardeau on Oct. 12 instead. The students and faculty seemed delighted to have Savannah and her balloon sculptures on campus.

While the event primarily allowed clowns to share smiles and friendship with children and in many cases raise money for worthy causes, it also served another purpose.

"This was an opportunity for balloon artists to draw attention to a young art," said event originator Jeff Brown. "Few people understand and appreciate what can be done with balloons. By giving time in a free and fun way, people all over the world had a chance to see why we love what we do. If we did it right, we made others want to join us and explore even more possibilities in the world of balloon twisting."

Earlier this year Jamie Crowell joined the business as "Sonshine the clown" along with helping with costumed balloon deliveries, parties, and business promotions. Along with Crowell, Sternickle said she will soon adding several people to assist with wedding decorating, event coordinating and business promotions.

"If I can't perform the service myself, I will find someone who can," she said. "I consider my business a one-stop party resource for anyone."

Starting in November, Alotta Fun 4U2 Productions will be doing personalized costumed elf visits in the Cape and Jackson area. From each visit $5 will be donated to the school of the customer's choice.

Sternickle, who said she grow up as a Christian, but "a typical rebellious teenage child," sees the clowning as a Christian calling.